Pregnant Waitress

Dublin Chick

I have a restaurant in the city centre and one of the waitresses is pregnant. She has been with us for years. The baby is not due untill January and already she seems to have a very large bump. I have been suiting her with day time shifts and have been avoiding putting her on very busy shifts. Only problem is that when she is rostered at the times when we are not busy there are times that she would be in the floor alone, am I liable if anything should happen to her if she is on her own. There would be someone in the kitchen but we have a wine bar upstairs that is very much segregated from the rest of the restaurant.

Early on in the pregnancy she gave me a letter from her doctor outlining that she was not to carry anything heavy and she was to have minimum lifting etc. So you can imagine my concern in relation to this matter.

Also because she is not able for the busier shifts her hours have been reduced, can I get in trouble for this?

Any feedback would be very much appreciated.

DC

Victor

You might get some professional advice, through a solicitor, HR specialist, her union or the http://www.djei.ie/ but talk to your employee and her doctor also.

Dublin Chick wrote: »

Also because she is not able for the busier shifts her hours have been reduced, can I get in trouble for this?

Potentially. Is there other work that she can do, of the same grade, status, pay, etc., but without being boisterous?

You might enquire about health and safety benefit. http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_to_families_and_children/health_safety_benefit.html